The Eiffel Tower lit up at night, Paris, France
There’s a lot to do and see in Paris France, what with the Eiffel Tower, bicycle tours and the Louvre to enjoy at your leisure. There are also a lot of hotels to pick from. I rounded up the top ten I could find, all with top marks from customer reviews around the web.
Aerial view of the Guanahani Hotel and Spa
Gisele Bundchen
Last time we covered St. Tropez’ Byblos Hotel. And we have another French hotel and celeb hotspot for this week’s Celebrity Hotel of the Week. Smack dab in the middle of the French West Indies is the Hotel Guanahani and Spa in Saint Barthelemy. A fave amongst celebrities such as Naomi Watts, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Jon Bon Jovi, the Guanahani is the finest of luxury hotel resorts.
Located on a private 16-acre peninsula, you’ll find amazing beaches, dining, Creole-styled rooms and suites that’ll blow you away, shopping…it’s all there at the Guanahani, just waiting for your arrival. And talk about some incredible free activities and services!
The luxurious Guanahani
Included with your room stay: free Continental breakfast either in your room or at the Indigo restaurant, canoes and pedal boats, snorkeling, windsurfing, tennis courts, a fitness center, and daytime Kindergarten for children 2-6 years of age. By the way? Kids six and under stay for free. And for a little extra, there’s jet-skis, boat rentals, scuba diving, bars on the beach, and instructors for tennis and windsurfing.
Guanahani Room, Feel like a celeb!
Guanahani Room
The Guanahani has 68 rooms, all in private bungalows with private terraces. There are 34 suites (some with private pools), 24-hour room service, satellite TV with LCD flatscreens, DVD players (DVD library available at the front desk), and free Internet.
Bed with a view, Guanahani Hotel & Spa
Gastronomically speaking, there are lots of good eats around, including Indigo (a wonderful poolside restaurant on the beach) and Bartolomeo (gourmet dining and lounge bar). Scrumptious Mediterranean/Italian dishes at Bartolomeo are faves of Marisa Miller and Gisele Bundchen alike, and you can’t beat a romantic meal at night with the stars overhead.
Guanahani Restaurant
The spa at Guanahani rocks, too. Get a look at some of these views. Steam room, massages, rejuvenation packages. There’s even a salon on the premises.
Guanahani Spa
Rates. Right. Well,depending on the room and the time of year, prices start at 360 Euros (currency converter here) and work their way up from there. A Superior Gardenview Room, for example, is 360 Euros a night during the summer and 915 Euros a night during the Christmas holiday. An Ocean 1-Bedroom Poolside Suite, with private pool overlooking the sea starts at 1,095 Euros in the summer and goes up to 1,655 Euros over Christmas and New Year’s.
Guanahani Hotel, Private Suite Pool
Jon Bon Jovi
But if you’re really going for the celebrity treatment, you can get a suite with butler service! Yeah, baby! The most expensive one – La Villa – starts at 2,800 Euros a day and tops out at 5,700 Euros a day. Think I’ll stay for a month. Or maybe just for 15 minutes, because that’ll only cost me 60 Euros. How much can a butler do in 15 minutes, anyway?
Fine beaches, luxurious rooms, poolside bars, the warm sunny climate…yeah. I can’t wait to get there. Who wants to be my Sugar Mama?
CELEBS SPOTTED: Marisa Miller, Selita Ebanks, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Watts, Laetitia Casta, Stephanie Seymour, Karen Mulder, Yasmeen Ghuri, Jon Bon Jovi.
And if anyone has any tips for hot celebrity hotels, feel free to let me know.
Related posts: The Standard, Los Angeles; The Byblos in St. Tropez.
Do you have several thousand dollars lying around to spend on an extravagant night of pampering? Me neither. But someone in the United States is enjoying the life of luxury.
Here’s where they’re doing it…
Enjoy everything from camping to beachfront property at the nation’s top luxury hotels.
Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at Palms in Las Vegas
The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas has built a reputation as the decadent playground for celebrities in Las. At $40,000 a night, their Hugh Hefner Sky Villa provides the ultimate luxury for playboys and playgirls alike. Or, for a mere $4,000 per night, you can connect with your inner child in the Barbie Suite.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills (image courtesy of The Peninsula Hotel Group)
Naturally, one of the world’s most luxurious cities needs a place for the visiting Pretty People to lay their head. The Peninsula Beverly Hills property offers simple luxuries – like complimentary wireless internet and private poolside cabanas. Of course, Pretty People shouldn’t be expected to rely on front doors – which is why several of the rooms here come with private entrances and guaranteed “discretion”.
Halekulani in Honolulu Hawaii - the Vera Wang suite
I suspect everything in Hawaii feels luxurious. But if you want to step it up a notch, pick a hotel whose name means “house befitting heaven”. You can go big with an ocean view suite, or settle for a basic room at the Halekulani for just a little over $400 per night.
Private rooftop terrace at Peninsula Chicago
The most luxurious street in Chicago is Michigan Avenue, and The Peninsula Chicago is located in the heart of the famed Magnificent Mile. The hotel’s restaurants and bars provide gourmet dining and a chance to rub elbows with Chicago’s elite.
A dining room inside a hotel room at The Peninsula New York
Are you getting the impression that The Peninsula Hotel Group specializes in luxury hotels for the privileged masses? The New York property is no exception. Everything about this hotel says luxury – from it’s prime 5th Avenue location and glass enclosed rooftop pool, to the oversized rooms (unheard of in Manhattan) and 450-count linens.
Mandarin Oriental and Central Park in New York City
A suite with a connected room at the Mandarin Oriental will cost you about $3,000 per night. What you’ll get for the money is the opportunity to enjoy sweeping views of Central Park, 5-star customer service, and access to a world-class spa and fitness center.
Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons New York
New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so it’s no wonder that it’s home to so many luxury hotels. And it doesn’t get more luxurious than the Four Seasons. Guests who stay in the Ty Warner Penthouse will pay $34,000 a night to enjoy a view from the top of the city as well as a personal trainer, butler, therapist and a private chauffeur. Of course, a chauffeur isn’t much use without a car – so the hotel throws in unlimited use of either a Rolls Royce or Mercedes Maybach.
The Setai - Miami Beach, FL
The Setai is located in Miami’s famed South Beach district and offers privileged sun worshipers luxury on the beach. The Setai is a favorite destination for celebrities visiting South Beach. An ocean front suite will run you about $2,400 per night. Throw in “complimentary breakfast” and you’ll spend $3100. I assume the eggs are magnificent.
The Point - former Great Camp of the Rockefellers
Guests of The Point enjoy luxury before they even arrive in the form of a ride from a private jet. If you’d prefer to drive, you’ll need to wait until you’ve paid for your stay to receive directions to this exclusive hideaway. The Point was originally built as a Great Camp for the Rockefeller family – and it retains that prestige and opulence to this day.
Mansion at MGM Grand Las Vegas
Need a break from home but can’t bear to live without the familiarity of a full staff? Then the Mansion at MGM Grand is the perfect hotel for you. Enjoy celebrity neighbors, personal butlers, and an indoor swimming pool while you’re being pampered in the lap of luxury. Oh – and leave behind $5,000 for the night when you go.
What are the odds I can save some money by booking one of these hotels on Priceline?
The Broadmoor Colorado Springs
For a hotel that began as a gambling casino in 1891, the Broadmoor Colorado Springs certainly has come a long way. Not only is it located in one of the most picturesque parts of the country, but it has also won both the AAA Five-Diamond and the Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star awards for more consecutive years than any other hotel. Intrigued? You should be!
The Broadmoor Colorado Springs is home to 700 luxurious rooms, many of which offer stunning mountain views; an incredible spa; swimming pools; outdoor hot tubs; tennis; golf; a wide variety of gourmet dining options; children’s programs; and shopping.
Oh, and they’re working hard to go green, most recently with an $800,000 project which will convert tens of thousands of their existing light fixtures to be more energy efficient. The hotel is also reducing their electrical consumption, pollution, and waste.
The Broadmoor Spa and Golf Complex
Now that you know what’s available, what do you want to do first? At the spa, you’ll find treatments geared toward men, women, and children, ranging from massage and hydrotherapy to beauty to mind/body. Or, if you’re into golf, you’ll be thrilled to know that The Broadmoor offers three championship golf courses — some of the finest you’ll find anywhere. You can tee off on your own or take advantage of the professional instruction available. And, if tennis is your game, you can play on one of their seven tennis courts. After all, The Broadmoor is rated third finest tennis resort in the country by Tennis Magazine, and even offers camps to help you improve your skills.
Maybe you don’t want to be so active. That’s okay — hey, it’s your vacation, right? The outdoor pool is fabulous, but seasonal. In the winter, the spa pool is open for use. But, if you’re interested in enjoying the gorgeous outdoors, The Broadmoor will help you make reservations for any of the various outdoor activities in the area, including fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.
Rates range from the high $200s for a standard room to around $1000 for a suite. The website offers detailed descriptions of each room type, so you can really do your research before booking.
Photo credit: Broadmoor.com
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